The Commission held a briefing in Brussels yesterday entitled “Is English becoming a rare language?” It highlighted the lack of English-language interpreters and translators in the EU institutions. It might not seem logical, but as English becomes such a lingua franca in the work of the EU, the needs for interpreters and translators with EnglishContinue reading “Parlez-vous Francais?”
Category Archives: Euonym
Doctor doctor
I’ve had a weird few days, at the mercy of the UK health system. I started feeling a pain in my abdomen on Friday night, and by Sunday it was painful and persistent enough for me to be getting worried. So I called NHS Direct, who advised me to go to the NHS walk-in centreContinue reading “Doctor doctor”
Baby you can drive my car
There’s so much going on today, what with those terrible fires in Australia, Premier League managers being sacked left, right and centre and all the hoo-ha about bankers’ bonuses, that I suspect Neelie Kroes’ meeting with the roundtable to discuss the future of the car block exemption may have gone unnoticed. I wrote about thisContinue reading “Baby you can drive my car”
The Sun has got her hat on…
If Thinkaboutit.eu has had all the EU bloggers getting excited, then Rebekah Wade’s appearance giving the Hugh Cudlipp lecture seems to have done the same thing for media blogs: Roy Greenslade and Charlie Beckett to name but two. As this is a media blog as well as an EU one, I shall Wade in (hoho).Continue reading “The Sun has got her hat on…”
Think
A whole load of bloggers are in Brussels today for the launch of Think about It, a blogging competition linked to this year’s European elections. There are a few Brits at the launch, some of them well-known blogs on EU subjects, such as Jon Worth, others up-and-coming. They’ll all go live on the site onContinue reading “Think”
Thirteen is the magic number
When it comes to rugby it is anyway – tonight I’m off to the “meet the team” session for season tickets of Harlequins Rugby league team. I decided that I needed to get out more at the weekend and going to the rugby would be a great way. I don’t think I’ll tell them thatContinue reading “Thirteen is the magic number”
Cod only knows
Reports are flying around that the European Commission is planning to bring all anglers under the Common Fisheries Policy. This is not the case. Anglers fishing in freshwater or on the shore will be free to continue as they always have done. Across Europe, there are some recreational anglers who do large-scale deep sea fishingContinue reading “Cod only knows”
Hail to the chief
Can anyone be blogging about anything else today but the inauguration in Washington of the man now clearly known as Barack H Obama? It really has felt like a momentous day, maybe more for what it represents than what actually went on. I went to a very interesting event this morning on this subject, discussingContinue reading “Hail to the chief”
That’s Not My Name Chasing Pavements
I read today (picked up by Google Reader) that the Ting Tings and Adele have won a European Border Breakers Award, which is given to artists whose debut album has the biggest sales outside their own country. I don’t suppose it’s a great surprise that UK bands are among the winners, given the prevalence of English-languageContinue reading “That’s Not My Name Chasing Pavements”
Back in the saddle again
So, I’m back from leave, and it’s not too bad, though I could stay in my little house in the Pyrenees forever if allowed to! It snowed, which was lovely. Pics attached. We had lots of fun with the new puppy Bailey the Beagledor, who is a handful, though a very sweet one! Anyway, backContinue reading “Back in the saddle again”